Ready, Set, Register!

I was so excited to start the registration process. My fiancé Sam and I are both in our mid-20s, so much of the furniture and housewares in our apartment are hand-me-downs from family members or leftover from our college days. Along with our new Mr. and Mrs. status come October, we are also ready for new dishes, linens, and appliances.

Besides the fact that registering for a wedding is kind of like going on a shopping spree without spending any money (fun!), it was a great time for Sam and me to bond. As we walked up and down the aisles on a weekend morning, coffee and scanning gun in hand, we were forced to think past the wedding, when our life together truly begins—how many place settings will we need when we start to host Thanksgiving dinner? Will we use this pizza oven with our kids one day? This camera would be great for capturing our honeymoon! Contemplating our future together felt so amazing.

Despite the fun side, registering for a wedding can also be a little overwhelming. After all, you’re trying to choose items that you’ll use for years to come. Here are some tips I picked up along the way:

1. Register at a handful of stores. It would be hard to find everything you want/need at one store, but you also don’t want to register at too many. Three stores is a good guideline. In the end, we registered at Macy’s, Target, and Crate&Barrel, and created a honeymoon registry through Wanderable.com. Tip: Look for stores that offer great rewards, like Macy's, which allows you to purchase ungifted items on your registry after the wedding at a discount.

2. Go multiple times. Don’t feel like it's a one-and-done kind of thing. I was so overwhelmed with choices that first day that I found it hard to register. We completed round one right before the holidays, and just recently went back for round two, now that our wedding is six months away. The second time, we had a more clear idea of what we really wanted. Plus, as your showers and wedding get closer, you’ll want to replenish your registry, so that there are still plenty of options available for those procrastinating guests.

3. Over-register. It’s recommended that you register for at least twice the amount of gifts as you have guests. That way, your guests will have a variety to pick from, at varying price points.

4. Think outside of the box. Don’t only register for dishes and appliances. Throw some fun stuff into the mix as well, like board games or that TV you’ve been eyeing (etiquette experts say this is OK!). You can also ask guests to help pay for your honeymoon or a down payment on a house with sites like Zola, Honeyfund, or Wanderable.